Symmetry Breaking and Strong Persistent Plasma Currents via Resonant Destabilization of Atoms

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Authors

External Research Organisations

  • Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik (WIAS) Leibniz-Institute in Forschungsverbund Berlin e. V.
  • Virtimo AG
  • Lomonosov Moscow State University
  • Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy im Forschungsbund Berlin e.V. (MBI)
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Original languageEnglish
Article number243202
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume119
Issue number24
Publication statusPublished - 13 Dec 2017

Abstract

The ionization rate of an atom in a strong optical field can be resonantly enhanced by the presence of long-living atomic levels (so-called Freeman resonances). This process is most prominent in the multiphoton ionization regime, meaning that the ionization event takes many optical cycles. Nevertheless, here, we show that these resonances can lead to rapid subcycle-scale plasma buildup at the resonant values of the intensity in the pump pulse. The fast buildup can break the cycle-to-cycle symmetry of the ionization process, resulting in the generation of persistent macroscopic plasma currents which remain after the end of the pulse. This, in turn, gives rise to a broadband radiation of unusual spectral structure, forming a comb from terahertz to visible. This radiation contains fingerprints of the attosecond electron dynamics in Rydberg states during ionization.

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Cite this

Symmetry Breaking and Strong Persistent Plasma Currents via Resonant Destabilization of Atoms. / Brée, Carsten ; Hofmann, M.; Demircan, Ayhan et al.
In: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 119, No. 24, 243202, 13.12.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Brée, C., Hofmann, M., Demircan, A., Morgner, U., Kosareva, O., Savel'Ev, A., Husakou, A., Ivanov, M., & Babushkin, I. (2017). Symmetry Breaking and Strong Persistent Plasma Currents via Resonant Destabilization of Atoms. Physical Review Letters, 119(24), Article 243202. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.243202
Brée C, Hofmann M, Demircan A, Morgner U, Kosareva O, Savel'Ev A et al. Symmetry Breaking and Strong Persistent Plasma Currents via Resonant Destabilization of Atoms. Physical Review Letters. 2017 Dec 13;119(24):243202. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.243202
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@article{7609def16a734280a95be123bf794933,
title = "Symmetry Breaking and Strong Persistent Plasma Currents via Resonant Destabilization of Atoms",
abstract = "The ionization rate of an atom in a strong optical field can be resonantly enhanced by the presence of long-living atomic levels (so-called Freeman resonances). This process is most prominent in the multiphoton ionization regime, meaning that the ionization event takes many optical cycles. Nevertheless, here, we show that these resonances can lead to rapid subcycle-scale plasma buildup at the resonant values of the intensity in the pump pulse. The fast buildup can break the cycle-to-cycle symmetry of the ionization process, resulting in the generation of persistent macroscopic plasma currents which remain after the end of the pulse. This, in turn, gives rise to a broadband radiation of unusual spectral structure, forming a comb from terahertz to visible. This radiation contains fingerprints of the attosecond electron dynamics in Rydberg states during ionization.",
author = "Carsten Br{\'e}e and M. Hofmann and Ayhan Demircan and Uwe Morgner and O. Kosareva and A. Savel'Ev and A. Husakou and M. Ivanov and Ihar Babushkin",
note = "Funding information: I.B., U.M., and M.I. gratefully acknowledge the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Priority Programme 1840 Quantum Dynamics in Tailored Intense Fields (QUTIF) (Grants No.BA 4156/4-1, No.MO 850-19/1, and No.IV 152/7-1). A.S. and O.K. acknowledge support from Russian Science Foundation (Grant No.16-42-01060). U.M. and A.D. acknowledge support of the DFG (Project No.MO 850-20/1). M.H. and C.B. acknowledge funding by the DFG (Grant No.BR 4654/1). M.I. acknowledges support from the U.S. DOD MURI Grant No.EP/N018680/1. I. B., U. M., and M. I. gratefully acknowledge the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Priority Programme 1840 “Quantum Dynamics in Tailored Intense Fields” (QUTIF) (Grants No. BA 4156/4-1, No. MO 850-19/1, and No. IV 152/7-1). A. S. and O. K. acknowledge support from Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 16-42-01060). U. M. and A. D. acknowledge support of the DFG (Project No. MO 850-20/1). M. H. and C. B. acknowledge funding by the DFG (Grant No. BR 4654/1). M. I. acknowledges support from the U.S. DOD MURI Grant No. EP/N018680/1.",
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AU - Brée, Carsten

AU - Hofmann, M.

AU - Demircan, Ayhan

AU - Morgner, Uwe

AU - Kosareva, O.

AU - Savel'Ev, A.

AU - Husakou, A.

AU - Ivanov, M.

AU - Babushkin, Ihar

N1 - Funding information: I.B., U.M., and M.I. gratefully acknowledge the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Priority Programme 1840 Quantum Dynamics in Tailored Intense Fields (QUTIF) (Grants No.BA 4156/4-1, No.MO 850-19/1, and No.IV 152/7-1). A.S. and O.K. acknowledge support from Russian Science Foundation (Grant No.16-42-01060). U.M. and A.D. acknowledge support of the DFG (Project No.MO 850-20/1). M.H. and C.B. acknowledge funding by the DFG (Grant No.BR 4654/1). M.I. acknowledges support from the U.S. DOD MURI Grant No.EP/N018680/1. I. B., U. M., and M. I. gratefully acknowledge the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Priority Programme 1840 “Quantum Dynamics in Tailored Intense Fields” (QUTIF) (Grants No. BA 4156/4-1, No. MO 850-19/1, and No. IV 152/7-1). A. S. and O. K. acknowledge support from Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 16-42-01060). U. M. and A. D. acknowledge support of the DFG (Project No. MO 850-20/1). M. H. and C. B. acknowledge funding by the DFG (Grant No. BR 4654/1). M. I. acknowledges support from the U.S. DOD MURI Grant No. EP/N018680/1.

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N2 - The ionization rate of an atom in a strong optical field can be resonantly enhanced by the presence of long-living atomic levels (so-called Freeman resonances). This process is most prominent in the multiphoton ionization regime, meaning that the ionization event takes many optical cycles. Nevertheless, here, we show that these resonances can lead to rapid subcycle-scale plasma buildup at the resonant values of the intensity in the pump pulse. The fast buildup can break the cycle-to-cycle symmetry of the ionization process, resulting in the generation of persistent macroscopic plasma currents which remain after the end of the pulse. This, in turn, gives rise to a broadband radiation of unusual spectral structure, forming a comb from terahertz to visible. This radiation contains fingerprints of the attosecond electron dynamics in Rydberg states during ionization.

AB - The ionization rate of an atom in a strong optical field can be resonantly enhanced by the presence of long-living atomic levels (so-called Freeman resonances). This process is most prominent in the multiphoton ionization regime, meaning that the ionization event takes many optical cycles. Nevertheless, here, we show that these resonances can lead to rapid subcycle-scale plasma buildup at the resonant values of the intensity in the pump pulse. The fast buildup can break the cycle-to-cycle symmetry of the ionization process, resulting in the generation of persistent macroscopic plasma currents which remain after the end of the pulse. This, in turn, gives rise to a broadband radiation of unusual spectral structure, forming a comb from terahertz to visible. This radiation contains fingerprints of the attosecond electron dynamics in Rydberg states during ionization.

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